Crimson Peak

MPAA Rating: R for bloody violence, some sexual content and brief strong language
Run Time: 119 Minutes
My Rating: 3.5/5
So Friday night I saw Universal Pictures and Legendary Pictures' Crimson Peak starring Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Jessica Chastain (The Martian), Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers), and Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim).  It follows the story of Edith Cushing who finds the man-of-her-dreams in Thomas Sharpe. After a family tragedy, she marries Thomas and moves in with him and his sister, Lady Lucille Sharpe.  Now Edith finds herself struggling as the ghosts of the house's past start to haunt her providing a deadly message for all involved.
So I loved this film.  In my opinion, this is one of the best horror films that has come along in a while.  This is one of the first big-budget horror films in many years and it was nice seeing a true spectacle in the genre.  Not to say that the genre isn't an art (because I love the genre), but seeing a studio and a director put so much money and faith in the horror genre truly resonated on the screen. This is evident in the immaculate costumes and set design.  Both of these are award-worthy deserve praise.  If the Academy look over this film in these areas, they a doing a great disservice. Also, it was great seeing recognizable stars.  Most recognizable stars seem to stay away from the horror genre because it isn't artistic enough, but all for leads in Crimson Peak show that there are great performances and great potential in the horror genre.  They all did fantastic and I applaud them for their performances and their willingness to enter the genre.
Though I absolutely loved Crimson Peak, I was shocked to realize that this truly isn't as much of a horror movie as it is a Gothic romance movie.  Yes, there are ghosts, and yes the film has its moments, but overall, the supernatural entities are just side characters and not the most important part to the story.  Though in the end I thought it was good, at first it kind of annoyed me that this wasn't going to be the straight-up horror movie I was expecting.  With that being said, this film is not scary. In fact almost all of the horror moments in the film are shown in the previews, which makes for a very uneventful (horror-wise) film.
Overall, I loved this film.  Even though it wasn't as scary as I would have liked it, incredible performances, a great script, and beautiful imagery truly turned it into a spectacle.  I encourage everyone to see this film because it really is a great story.  For those that are wary because of the horror aspects, you have nothing to worry about.  This is a fantastic era-piece drama that can truly satisfy both horror fan and non-horror fans alike.

Thanks again for reading!!  If you have any questions, comments, or ideas just let me know!!